Isabelle Chua

Grand Compromise or Grand Damage to Thailand’s Party System?

Thailand has been caught in a series of political compromises made between strange bedfellows. If this continues, voters will become more cynical about the political system’s ability to deliver outcomes that hew to the popular mandate.

Malaysia’s Islamic Authorities Risk Sowing Societal Confusion through Hasty Bans on Some ‘New Age’ Practices

By indiscriminately condemning as heretical some ‘New Age’ practices, such as those involving healing and astrology, Malaysia’s Islamic authorities could inadvertently undermine some Malay cultural traditions.

How Stablecoins Could Destabilise Southeast Asian Economies

For all the recent excitement around stablecoins, they bring significant risks that warrant proactive policy responses.

Anutin’s Rise and the People’s Party’s Test

By supporting the Bhumjaithai minority government, the People’s Party has embarked on a political gambit: working with the party’s erstwhile enemy in exchange for some degree of reform in the medium term.

Energy Trade in Southeast Asia: The Need to Address Resource Nationalism

Resource nationalism can impede energy cooperation in Southeast Asia. ASEAN can use a mix of carrots and sticks to deal with it.

A Gathering Storm: How Prabowo’s Fiscal Centralisation and Out-of-Touch Elites Fuel Discontent and Protests

Almost a year into office, Indonesia’s central government must balance its ambitions against rising public discontent. There is still time to right the ship.

Caught in the Sino-US Crossfire: ASEAN Needs to Act as One

The economic competition between China and the US portends both opportunities and challenges for Southeast Asia.

The Collapsed Pesantren Building in East Java is a Wake-up Call for Indonesia

Without a shift in mindset and stricter enforcement of existing regulations, tragedies like the recent school building collapse in East Java are bound to recur.